By Tom Momberg
The family of Detective Brian Moore, along with elected officials and hundreds of officers, gathered with the public in front of the NYPD 105th Precinct in Queens Village last week to pay tribute to the late officer, who was shot dead in early May.
The police unveiled a new co-named street on 222nd Street now bearing the name of Detective 1st Grade Brian Moore Way, which meant to remind the community of Moore’s accomplishments.
“We must honor him, not just through a street renaming along with his colors, but we must work with our police — not hamper their efforts to make us safe,” said Councilman I. Daneek Miller (D-St. Albans), who introduced the legislation enacting the co-naming. “We must do all we can to collaborate to make this city as safe and as great as it can be.”
Moore and his partner, Officer Eric Jansen, were on a routine patrol when they stopped Demetrius Blackwell, who they suspected of carrying a gun. Before they could take any action, Blackwell allegedly fired several shots into the unmarked patrol car and struck Moore in the head, according to the Queens district attorney.
Blackwell was found and arrested a couple of hours after the incident. Jansen took Moore to Jamaica Hospital, where he remained in a coma until he was pronounced dead a couple of days later.
“Moore was promoted to detective post-mortem, but as NYPD Commissioner William Bratton said, the title was most deserving, considering his dedication and impressive police record in his short, five-year career.
“We are once again gathered here, wrapped in a shroud of sorrow, to share memories and to celebrate the life of Brian Moore, a life cut too short but a life that was well-lived,” Bratton said. “It is never easy to be at these events. We all wish that we did not have to be here. We all wish the events of several months ago had not occurred, but they did. And so we are here. It must be to ensure that we never forget, but also so we use his experience and early death to inspire us and to increase wherever we can the security of our personnel and our officers.”
Just weeks before the ceremony, Moore’s parents were in court during a hearing for Blackwell, who has been charged with murder and could face life in prison if convicted. His father, retired NYPD Sgt. Raymond Moore, said these new events are just reopening healing wounds, but that seeing everyone there to memorialize his son’s accomplishments made it a little better.
“I’m very proud of Brian today, but I have always been proud of my son and I always will be,” Raymond Moore said. “Brian was an outstanding officer. We all know he made 160 arrests in his career and was awarded department medals. He excelled in every unit that he worked. His potential was unlimited. But he went to work every day with one goal — he used to tell me he’s going to work just to make the city a better place for people to live and to work.”
Among the more than 1,000 people who attended the street co-naming ceremony, including several school groups, were state Assemblywoman Alicia Hyndman (D-Jamaica), Assemblymen David Weprin (D-Richmond Hill) and Ed Braunstein (D-Bayside), U.S. Rep. Chris Gibson (D-Hyde Park), Borough President Melinda Katz, Queens DA Richard Brown and Councilmen Miller, Donovan Richards (D-Laurelton) and Barry Grodenchik (D-Bayside Hills).
